


We Had Something Good

by jadore_macabre (goodworkperky)



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-11
Updated: 2013-11-11
Packaged: 2018-01-01 05:37:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1040965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goodworkperky/pseuds/jadore_macabre
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt taken from tumblr user hotdadsinajaeger</p><p>Prompt: (CANON) Herc and Mako have a conversation after the events of the movie.</p>
            </blockquote>





	We Had Something Good

They haven’t seen or spoken to each other since the double event, the cancelling of the apocalypse. But here they are at Chuck and Stacker’s memorial service. Hercs on one side of the church, dressed in his uniform and neatly shaved as Tendo sits beside him. Mako sits on the opposite side with Raleigh at her side. Their eyes meet briefly and it’s Herc that breaks contact, his heart beating hard and heavy in his chest. 

It’s a terrible idea, Herc thinks. He stares at the blown pictures of Stacker and Chuck surrounded by wreaths of flowers. There’s a slight smirk of Chuck’s face but Stacker is grave and serious as ever in his uniform. Looking at them, Herc feels as though his chest has been torn open and his heart flayed. Tendo’s hand gives his arm a brief comforting squeeze, but the Ranger’s stomach is churning and a lump is rising in his throat. He gets up in the middle of the service.

Herc vomits in the back of the church on top of cigarette butts and broken beer bottles. He spits to clear the taste and finds a derelict bench by an unkempt community garden just around the corner, sitting heavily with a murmured curse. He leans forward and turns his head as footsteps draw close. He can’t stand to have anyone see him cry.

"May I sit?" he hears Mako say.

Herc turns his head only slightly and nods. But he only hurts more having her so close. He clearly recalls memories of her and Stacker at the Shatterdome—sparing lessons, tutoring classes. He remembers her and Chuck doing homework together at the living room table while Stacker poorly tries to help Herc make dinner. Herc bites his thumb to stifle a sob. 

"He loved you very much," Mako says slowly, her voice trembles. It applies to both men, doubles the hurt. 

And Herc can’t help but wish for the thousandth time that minute that Chuck had been the one to hurt his arm. Because Stacker had been living on borrowed time and Herc was feeling it drag along painfully slow. Words of comfort form for her but Hansen can’t seem to give them life. He can’t speak with the weight of both deaths on his shoulders. 

"You made Sensei happy," Mako continues. They won’t talk about Chuck yet. Another subject for another day. Her hand slips into his and Herc can feel the smooth texture of a photograph pressed to his palm. "When he thought about you—" He heard her clap a hand over her mouth, but a small sob already escaped. 

Herc swallows hard and puts a hand on her shoulder. “Stacker was so proud—I’m so proud of everything…” The sentence can’t be finished. For all that they’ve done, it doesn’t need to be.

Looking down, he sees it a familiar photograph she’s pressed into his palm. They’re at the beach, all four of them. Stacker has his hand on Herc’s hip, the other on Mako’s shoulder. There are copies in a shoe box but this is the original, the one Mako and Chuck waited to develop from the old Polaroid as Stacker stole a kiss behind their back. A normal day—no Jaegers, no Kaiju. He looks over and meets her stare. 

"I will see you again," she says with a small smile that doesn’t reach her eyes. She rises to her feet and bows slightly before turning to leave.


End file.
